1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retractable cup holder assembly. More specifically, the present invention relates to a retractable cup holder assembly with a reusable breakaway feature that allows a vehicle occupant to easily re-install the cup holder assembly after the cup holder assembly has been pulled free from a trim portion of a vehicle.
2. Background Information
Vehicle interiors often include cup holder assemblies supported on vehicle interior structures such as instrument panels, side trim panels, center consoles and seats. One common type of cup holder is the swing-down variety that includes a cup tray assembly that includes a portion that pivots relative to a trim panel and/or the remainder of cup holder assembly and is movable between a retracted or stowed position and a generally horizontal deployed position. Some cup holder assemblies include detents that include a planar surface that engages a parallel surface on the trim panel retaining the cup tray assembly in an installed orientation relative to the trim panel.
A common problem encountered with such cup holder assemblies is that excessive downward forces may occasionally be applied to the deployed portion of the cup tray assembly. Such forces, typically generated by inadvertently stepping on the cup holder assembly in the deployed position, can force the cup tray assembly downward past the deployed position and can forcibly withdraw the cup holder assembly from the trim panel. In the process of withdrawing the cup holder assembly from the trim panel, the detents and/or the trim panel can be damaged. Once either is damaged, the detents of the cup holder assembly no longer retain the cup holder assembly to the trim panel in the installed orientation. Hence, the cup holder assembly and/or the trim panel must be replaced.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved cup holder assembly that is releasable from the trim panel such that neither the trim panel nor the cup holder assembly is damaged when forcibly withdrawn from one another. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.